


hypothetically speaking

by xogray



Series: percabeth oneshots [21]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Bisexual Annabeth Chase, Brief homophobia, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Temporarily Unrequited Love, brief rachel/percy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26185915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xogray/pseuds/xogray
Summary: “i have a crush on you,” she said nonchalantly. he opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. so she continued speaking. “there’s always that stupid cliche where the girl likes her best friend and never says anything until they’re, like, graduating or something and she finds out he liked her the whole time too. so i figured i’d skip that whole thing and just tell you now.”- or the one in which annabeth skips the cliche and it doesn't work out for her... at first
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Series: percabeth oneshots [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839274
Comments: 11
Kudos: 203





	hypothetically speaking

**Author's Note:**

> brief scenes of homophobia and sexual assault (just a nonconsensual kiss but still worth mentioning)  
> -  
> please check the notes at the end

“i have a crush on you.”

next to annabeth, percy froze. they were lying on their backs on her bed, their feet up against the wall above her headboard. she forced herself to keep her eyes in the direction of their feet.

“you- what?” he asked. she heard the sheets shuffle as he turned his head. annabeth took a second to calm her nerves before meeting his eyes.

“i have a crush on you,” she repeated nonchalantly. she chuckled as he blinked at her. he opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. so she continued speaking. “there’s always that stupid cliche where the girl likes her best friend and never says anything until they’re, like, graduating or something and she finds out he liked her the whole time too. so i figured i’d skip that whole thing and just tell you now.”

percy studied her, his eyes wide. “i, uh- i’m-” he stammered. annabeth could tell he was tense so she told herself to remain casual, for his sake just as much as hers.

“relax, percy,” she told him. “we’ve been friends since second grade. if you like me too, great, we’ll go from there. if you don’t, it’s fine. it’s a crush, i’ll get over it. i wouldn’t let it ruin six years of friendship.” 

he was silent for entirely too long, in annabeth’s opinion. as calm as she seemed right now, she was honestly feeling the opposite. it was true that she wouldn’t let her feelings for percy ruin their friendship. she would lose her mind if she lost her best friend. but her _crush_ on percy was a little more than a crush. 

his cheeks were red as they looked at each other. annabeth could tell he was trying to figure out what to say. he was trying to figure out how to let her down gently. any disappointment annabeth felt, she made sure it didn’t show on her face.

“i don’t,” he says slowly. quietly. “i-” he stopped himself.

annabeth smiled softly. “you don’t feel the same,” she supplied, relieving him of saying the words. he looked sympathetic as he nodded. “okay,” she said. “that’s fine.”

“i’m sorry,” he tried to say, but annabeth shook her head quickly. she felt at least a little comfort knowing he didn’t want to hurt her.

“i promise, it’s fine,” she assured him. and it was. “it might not have been my… ideal answer, i guess. but it’s okay. like i said, it’s a crush. i’ll get over it.”

and in her defense, she did try. annabeth tried really hard. not only to get over her feelings, but also to make sure things never got weird between them. multiple times the week after she told him, she ended up having to punch his shoulder and tell him to stop being weird. and eventually, things felt normal between them. as for annabeth’s feelings for percy… she was lucky she was good at acting. she was pretty sure percy believed she was over her crush. annabeth was good at hiding it. 

a few months into their freshman year, which they had started two months after annabeth’s confession, percy got a girlfriend. annabeth saw the hesitation in his eyes when he told her about the pretty girl with curly red hair and freckles in his art class. annabeth just smiled and told him to go for it.

“are you sure?” he asked her. percy studied her expression and she rolled her eyes.

“yes, idiot. ask her out.”

“so, you don’t- you’re not-” he tried to piece together a question when annabeth punched his arm.

“ask her out, percy. i told you i’d get over my crush and i did. stop worrying and make a move.” annabeth didn’t like to lie to percy. but even more than that, she didn’t like the idea of her crush on him stopping him from being happy. and the lie was worth it when his face slowly lit up. regardless of the sting she felt, she gave him a genuine smile when he hugged her tightly.

“thank you thank you thank you,” he said in a rush. annabeth laughed and pushed him back.

“shut up, you don’t have to thank me for anything,” she told him, her cheeks heating up. 

“i have art next, i’m gonna talk to her. i’ll catch you after!” he exclaimed, turning and practically skipping off. 

annabeth turned and faced the inside of her locker. she closed her eyes and gave herself five seconds to breathe and push down her heartache. after her time was up, she stood up straighter and grabbed her books, and went to class.

that night, percy had facetimed her and told her about rachel and how pretty her green eyes were and how good she was at art. he told her about how they would be going on a date this saturday. annabeth’s heart did warm up a little when percy had told her rachel had originally asked to go out on friday but percy had turned that offer down because he had plans with annabeth.

after they hung up, annabeth sat in the darkness of her room and allowed silent tears to slide down her cheeks. if she was going to be upset over this, she figured it would be best to do so in the confinement of her own room. she wasn’t only crying from the sting and the jealousy of percy being with someone else. she was crying because of how _guilty_ she felt for being upset and jealous to begin with. she was happy for her best friend, but she was still hurting and it wasn’t fair to him for her to feel this way. she would only need to push herself harder to get over these feelings. 

a month later, percy and rachel had been a couple for a few weeks now. annabeth hated that rachel was so likable. she wished more than anything that she could hate her and think she was awful for percy. but she wasn’t. she was kind and funny and cared so much about percy. she also was very respectful of percy and annabeth’s friendship, which annabeth appreciated more than she could explain.

the three of them were sitting at lunch on a thursday when percy got up to use the bathroom. rachel looked at annabeth. 

“how do you feel about percy and i being together?”

annabeth blinked. surely, rachel couldn’t have known about annabeth’s feelings. “what do you mean?” annabeth asked cautiously. 

“it’s just,” rachel started, trying to form a thought. “you guys are so close and you’re obviously, like, the most important person in the world to him. and i respect that a lot so i just don’t want you to think i’m here to steal him away from you or anything.”

annabeth smiled. her heart jumped a little when rachel said she was the _most important person_ to percy. “it means a lot to hear you say you aren’t trying to steal him, though i’ve never felt like you were trying to do that. although i think his mom is more important to him than i am,” she chuckled, “but you seem to make him happy, and that’s all i want from him. so i mean, unless you hurt him, i’m more than happy for you guys.”

rachel beamed at her. “god, that’s so relieving. and i mean it, he loves you just as much as he loves his mom. at first, i thought he had a crush on you or something, he talks about you a lot. but it makes sense, you guys have been best friends for so long so obviously a lot of his life contains you.”

rachel says it so casually yet it strikes a nerve in annabeth. she doesn’t let it show though. instead, she laughs. “yeah, well, someone had to keep that idiot out of trouble all that time,” she says. “and on a serious note, you mentioned how you aren’t stealing him from me or anything, and i also just wanted to say i hope you know i don’t want to come between you guys at any point either. you’re his girlfriend, i’m his best friend, i don’t think he should ever need to choose between us, you know?”

“i couldn’t agree more, dude. we can, like, share him.”

annabeth laughed. “and when we get bored of him, we ditch him and date each other. we get along pretty well.”

rachel threw her head back with laughter. “you’re a genius.” they were both still laughing when percy returned. he sat next to rachel and looked at them.

“what did i miss?”

“i’m stealing your girlfriend,” annabeth said innocently, making her and rachel crack up again. percy blinked.

“i was gone for five minutes,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.

“sorry, i’ve got a thing for blondes,” rachel said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. the sight sobers annabeth up quickly. lucky for her, the bell rings then. she forced herself to appear casual as they all stood.

“i’ll see you guys later, i have a test next period so i’m gonna get there early to cram for a few minutes,” she told them.

percy wrapped her up in a quick hug before she could leave. they hugged often, so it wasn’t anything unusual, but it made annabeth’s stomach flip, like it always did. 

“good luck,” he said as he pulled away. “not that you’ll need it, wise girl.”

annabeth rolled her eyes. “thanks,” she said. “i’ll see you guys later.” she turned and walked away before she could see percy wrap his arms around rachel’s shoulders.

three weeks later, the boy who sits next to annabeth in geometry asks her on a date. they had become friends within the last two months and annabeth did like him. just… not as much as she liked percy, obviously. still, she said yes. maybe it would be good for her. telling percy was interesting, to say the least. if annabeth hadn’t been paying attention, she might not have noticed his hesitation.

“i have a date on sunday,” she told him. it was thursday and they were studying and doing homework in his room after school. he looked up at her from his book and blinked a few times. immediately, annabeth felt uneasy.

“oh?” he asked, smiling. aside from the initial hesitation, he seemed happy for her. annabeth assumed his hesitancy related to her seemingly former feelings for him. maybe he hadn’t actually thought she had gotten over it. which was true, but he didn’t need to know that.

“yeah,” she said, smiling. “his name is luke, he’s in my geometry class. i think we’re just going to lunch. he’s a sophomore.”

“look at you getting older men,” percy joked, making annabeth roll her eyes but blush. “that makes sense though, since you’re in a higher math class. are you excited?” he asked.

“nervous, but yeah.”

“you’ll have fun. come over after and tell me about it.”

she smiled. “duh.”

sunday rolled around and annabeth almost texted luke and called off the date. she felt guilty. she wasn’t supposed to like percy, he didn’t even know she liked him, yet something about going on a date with another boy while having such strong feelings for percy felt wrong. but she realized she may never go on a date with a boy any time soon if she let her feelings for percy control her so easily. so she went on her date with luke. and it was going well… until it wasn’t.

luke had been telling her a story about how during a game of truth or dare, he had been dared to ding dong ditch his neighbor and almost got arrested.

“oh my god,” annabeth said, laughing. “truth or dare is really the worst.”

“uh oh,” he said, picking up one of his fries. “do you have a crazy truth or dare story? one that can top mine?”

“that could top yours? no,” she said, making him laugh. “my friends have been dared to do awful things though. the only semi-bad thing that happened to me during a game was that i was dared to kiss someone and it had been my first kiss.”

“ooh yikes,” luke grimaced. “was he super bad? like too much tongue, super gross kind of kiss?”

annabeth laughed. “it was a girl actually, but no. she wasn’t bad. it was just super awkward. plus it might be dumb, but i tend to think firsts should be special,” she chuckled and shook her head. she ate a fry and swallowed it before continuing. “but i think it helped me confirm that i’m bi, so i guess it could’ve been worse.”

luke blinked. “wait, what?” he asked. annabeth felt a small ball of panic begin to form in her chest.

“what?” she asked. 

“you’re… bi?”

“yeah,” she replied cautiously. she had become so comfortable with herself and her sexuality, she had almost forgotten homophobic people existed. percy had been so accepting and that alone made her so much more confident with herself. “is that a problem?”

luke shifted, visibly uncomfortable. “it’s just- i’m christian and i just don’t really think that lifestyle is natural, you know?”

“no,” she deadpanned. “i don’t know.”

“i’m not trying to offend you or anything-”

annabeth cut him off. “you kind of are, though.”

luke had the audacity to roll his eyes and annabeth was two seconds away from pouring her drink on him. there was no way she was going to let this boy diminish all the hard work she’s put into being comfortable with herself. 

“it’s just my opinion, annabeth. it’s not that deep,” he said. 

annabeth smiled sweetly. “you know, luke. i don’t remember asking for your opinion. so next time,” she tipped his drink over, resulting in it spilling all over his lap. his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped in shock, a short gasp falling out of his mouth as the ice water hit him. “keep it to yourself.”

with that, she stood up and left him there. she didn’t know or care if he was following her. instead, annabeth hopped on the subway and went in the direction of the stop closest to her and percy’s houses. while sitting there, she replayed the events in her head. she felt her confidence deflate just a bit. obviously she wasn’t in the wrong, but he had said _“it’s not that deep”_ and that’s what stuck in her mind. she wasn’t being dramatic… was she?

before she knew it, her stop had arrived and she quickly got off. it was a three minute walk from the subway to percy’s house. annabeth made it there in about half the time. without knocking, she opened the door. percy’s mom, sally, was sitting in the living room and smiled when she saw annabeth. sally was like a mother to annabeth. more of a mother than her actual mother and stepmother combined.

“annabeth!” she smiled brightly. “percy mentioned you were gonna come over. he’s in his room!”

annabeth forced a smile. “thank you, sally!” she quickly bounded up the stairs. “percyyyy,” she called.

“annabeeetthhh,” he replied from inside his room. she swung the door open and he must have been able to tell she wasn’t happy from her expression. “what happened?”

he scooted over in his twin size bed, pressing his shoulder against the wall to make room for her. instead of sitting, she began pacing. 

“oh, you’re mad, not upset. do i have to beat him up?”

annabeth stopped pacing and looked at percy. “he’s homophobic.”

percy instantly moved to sit at the edge of his bed, his toes touching the floor. “what? what did he say?” annabeth could tell he was already angry too now.

“he was telling me about, like, something bad he had to do during a game of truth or dare and i had told him about how that one time we played truth or dare at leo’s party, i had to kiss piper. and i had said that, like, while it sucked that was my first kiss, it was fine because it helped me figure out i was bi.

and he, ugh, he was all like,” annabeth deepened her voice to imitate a generally dumb sounding male voice, _“i’m christian and i just don’t think it’s natural_ and blah blah and then i got mad, obviously, and oh my god, you know what he said?” 

annabeth put her face in her hands and took a deep breath. her voice was smaller than she liked when she said, “he told me it wasn’t that deep.”

“what did you say to that?” percy asked. annabeth dropped her hands and looked at him. his eyes were angry and she felt a surge of gratitude that he was so defensive, even if it didn’t directly concern him.

“i told him to keep his opinion to himself and i pushed his drink into his lap.”

the anger left percy’s eyes for a minute as his jaw dropped in awe. annabeth laughed quietly.

“i mean, he deserved it,” percy said. annabeth nodded, then sighed quietly. she looked at her hands.

“was he right when he said it wasn’t that deep, though? like, was i too dramatic?” she asked quietly. percy reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to stand in front of him. she looked at him. “like, i know he was wrong about everything else. but did i overreact?”

“annabeth,”percy said softly. he kept her hand in his. “you’re allowed to be angry. you didn’t overreact, you aren’t being dramatic.”

annabeth nodded, averting her eyes from his. she believed him. but a little part of her still wondered if she could’ve handled it better. percy sensed her uncertainty and continued.

“he was in the wrong, and you knew that. in the future, if you want to be a bigger person or whatever and just walk away, you could do that. but it’s also completely reasonable to be angry. next time you have to deal with someone being homophobic, call me and i’ll do a lot more than pour a drink on them.”

annabeth smiled at that. she tugged at his hand. “stand up,” she said quietly. he furrowed his eyebrows but complied. once he stood upright, annabeth wrapped her arms around his torso. he didn’t hesitate to return the hug. warmth washed through her as he held her against his chest. “thank you,” she mumbled into his shirt. 

for a moment, annabeth silently let herself enjoy being wrapped up in his arms like this. she could hear his heart beating. his years of swimming has given him a strong, steady body. annabeth would be lying if she said being pressed up against his muscles didn’t make her heart want to beat out of her chest. and just when she thought she couldn’t feel more content, percy pressed a small kiss to her hair. she wondered if he could feel her heart pounding.

six months later, annabeth received a text from percy on a saturday afternoon, simply asking her to come over. she quickly lets him know that she’ll be there soon and slipped on her shoes. percy’s house was either a ten minute walk or a five minute bike ride away and lucky for her, it was sunny and warm out today so she opted for the bike. 

five minutes later, she leaned her bike against percy’s garage door and walked into his house. sally was at work so annabeth simply ran up the stairs, making her way to percy’s room. 

“perce?” she said as she opened the door. he was sitting cross legged on the bed, his back against the wall. he had tears staining his cheeks as he looked across the room with a blank stare. annabeth frowned. “hey, what happened?”

she quickly crawled onto his bed and sat next to him, her back against the wall. he silently dropped his head on to her shoulder and took her hand.

“rachel broke up with me,” he said quietly. annabeth’s heart broke when he sniffled. she squeezed his hand once before letting go and worming it behind his back to wrap her arm around his waist. 

“oh percy,” she whispered. “i’m so sorry. do you wanna talk about it?”

he shook his head. “not yet. i just wanted you here.” annabeth’s heart flipped a little but she ignored it. now wasn’t the time to think about her feelings for percy.

“okay,” she told him. “i’m here.” she leaned her head on top of his. 

“can we lay down?” he whispered. annabeth nodded and he sat up straighter. percy looked at her and she saw his face up close for the first time today. he looked devastated and as much as she loved rachel, she hated her in that moment. they laid down facing each other and annabeth took his hand, holding it in the space between them. her other hand came up to wipe his tears.

“you’ll be okay,” she said quietly. “it’ll take time, but you’ll be okay.” percy nodded, another tear slipping out. they laid there silently. his eyes were closed and annabeth studied his face, watching his tears slip out one by one. his eyes fluttered open after a while. they were rimmed with red, making the green irises look more vibrant. annabeth squeezed his hand.

“she said she’s begun to like someone else and she said it wasn’t fair to me for her to stay with me if her heart wasn’t in it a hundred percent. which makes sense. it was just so sudden,” he said quietly.

annabeth frowned and shifted on to her back. “come here,” she said, tugging him closer. annabeth put her arm up around his shoulders as he rested his head on her chest and loosely draped his arm over her waist. she instantly regretted this because there was no way he wouldn’t feel how fast her heart was beating. “i’m sorry, percy. it’s good that she was honest. it’ll suck for a while but it’s good that she didn’t want to lead you on.”

“yeah,” he whispered. “i might fall asleep on you.”

annabeth chuckled. “i’m not a pillow,” she said. they both knew she wouldn’t care at all if he did fall asleep.

“you’re comfy,” he mumbled. annabeth smiled, knowing he couldn’t see her face. percy often got tired after he cried. she never understood it but the handful of times she had seen him cry, he had always gotten tired and wanted to sleep after. 

“is that a compliment?” she asked. but she didn’t get a reply. percy’s breathing had evened out. annabeth smiled again, wrapping her arm around him a little tighter. it caused him to shift a bit and tighten his grip on her waist. annabeth closed her eyes and willed her heart to slow down. it was pounding so hard, she genuinely worried she might wake him up.

she wasn’t sure how long they laid there. his grip on her waist had loosened again and annabeth’s hand had drifted up to play with his hair absentmindedly. she was dozing off a bit but she was sure she wasn’t going to fall asleep. any sense of fatigue in her quickly wore off when she heard the front door open and close. sally was home.

annabeth listened to the footsteps coming up the stairs, then faded as sally must’ve walked into her room. she debated waking percy up but as if on queue to convince her otherwise, he adjusted his position. his arm had pulled back so his hand was laying limply on her waist. sally’s footsteps returned and annabeth’s anxiety spiked as she heard them coming closer to percy’s room. the door was pushed open and sally blinked in surprise when she saw annabeth. then she smiled as she saw her son using annabeth as a pillow.

“hi,” annabeth said in a small voice, her cheeks heating up. sally’s eyes drifted over percy and he still must’ve had tears streaks on his face because sally instantly became concerned. she walked in and gently pushed a lock of hair off his face. annabeth became extremely aware that her hand was still playing with percy’s hair. 

“what happened?” sally whispered.

“rachel broke up with him,” she replied. “he asked me to come over and he ended up using me as a pillow. he’s been asleep for maybe, like, 45 minutes?”

sally smiled, still looking at her son sadly. then she looked at annabeth. “i’m glad you’re here to take care of him,” she said, making annabeth blush again. “i’m happy he has someone who cares about him just as much as i do.”

“he’s my best friend,” annabeth said simply. “he would do the same for me.”

sally nodded and chuckled lightly. “please,” she said, “whether he knows it or not, you have this boy wrapped around your finger. he would do anything for you.”

“yeah,” annabeth whispered. she looked down at him. ”the feeling is mutual.”

three months later, they were at their first high school party. neither of them were drunk by any means, but maybe a tiny bit tipsy. annabeth had never drank before and she never would’ve expected her to be a clingy person while drunk, but she is. she was surprised percy hadn’t pushed her off of him by now. she’d had her arms around his neck nearly the entire night so far. she was still fully coherent and if he had asked her to get off him, she would in a heartbeat. but so far, he hadn’t and annabeth had just enough alcohol in her to not care about being reserved. percy wasn’t clingy, but from time to time, he would wrap both arms around annabeth’s waist and hold her close. if annabeth were a lot drunker, she was sure she would confess her love for him everytime he did that.

they were talking to a few of their friends, annabeth’s head on his shoulder, when he gently shrugged her off. annabeth nearly fainted when percy leaned closer to put his mouth near her ear so she could hear him.

“i’m gonna run to the bathroom, i’ll be right back,” he said. she nodded and turned back to their friends. it hadn’t even been a minute later when a tall guy with dark hair and slanted eyes came up to her. 

“hey, you’re in my science class, right?” he asked her. she looked at him for a second before she recognized him.

“oh, yeah! ethan, right?” she asked.

he nodded. “you’re anna…” he trailed off. 

“beth,” she supplied. “annabeth.”

“right!” he took a sip of the beer in his hand. before they could say anything else, annabeth’s friend touched her wrist.

“we’re gonna get another drink, you want anything?”

“i’m good, pipes. thank you,” she smiled. piper returned the grin and nodded, walking off hand-in-hand with her boyfriend. annabeth turned back towards ethan. 

“can i show you something?” he asked. normally, annabeth would’ve been smart enough to say no. even now, she hesitated. ethan sensed it. “real quick, it’ll be good, i promise.”

“okay,” annabeth said. “sure.” ethan took her hand and led her through the crowd until they were in a much less crowded hallway. annabeth stopped short. she may have been tipsy but she knew better than to follow a stranger down a darkened hallway. “where are you taking me?” she asked.

“one of my friends owns this house and there’s a bedroom back here. i was wondering...” he stepped closer and fiddled with the hem of her shirt, ”if you wanted to mess around or something.”

annabeth tried to back away but a wall was behind her. she smacked his hand away. “why would i want that?” 

ethan instantly looked annoyed. he crowded her against the wall and annabeth felt panic rise in her throat, though she was determined not to show it. she was also painfully sobered up now.

“why wouldn’t you?” he asked.

“i don’t even know you,” she told him. her back was flat against the wall and her hands were curled into fists. 

“exactly, beth,” he said. “that’s why we should get to know each other.” 

she didn’t get to reply because ethan surged forward and kissed her hard. annabeth’s stomach dropped and she suddenly felt like she was going to be sick. she couldn’t pull her head back because it was already against the wall. annabeth was sure she was about to vomit when she had a thought. she brought her knee up between his legs, resulting in him groaning in pain and stumbling back.

annabeth didn’t wait to bolt out of the hallway. she quickly made her way back to where she had been before, hoping percy,or at least piper, would be there. she crashed into someone. she almost ignored them completely, muttering a, “sorry,” and continuing to move when he said her name. she had crashed into percy.

“annabeth,” he said. “where were you?”

it took one look at his concerned face for her to break. overwhelmed with emotion, her eyes began to water. “percy,” her voice broke. he gathered her into a tight hug. “take me outside, i can’t breathe,” she said.

“okay, come on,” he replied, wrapping an arm tightly around her waist. he steered her through the crowd until they were shuffling through the front door. there were a handful of people out there, all disinterested or too drunk to pay attention to them. annabeth leaned against the house and put her palms against her eyes, trying to take deep breaths as she cried. 

“annabeth, what happened?” percy said. she dropped her hands and looked at him and opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. he stepped forward to hug her and with her back against the wall, annabeth felt the bile rise in her throat again. on instinct, her hand shot up to push against his chest. percy’s eyes widened, confusion taking over his features. annabeth looked into the familiar green eyes she was so used to and instantly felt ridiculous. she dropped her hand.

“sorry,” she mumbled. he picked her hand back up and held it tight between his.

“what happened?” he repeated quietly. she studied him for a second, trying to piece together a sentence. the events replayed in her mind and she closed her eyes, leaning her head back. she took a deep breath before opening her eyes and looking at percy again. she focused on the feeling of her hand pressed between his.

“there was this guy,” she started. “he, uh, he’s in my science class. and we were talking for a minute and he asked me if he could show me something. and god, i’m so stupid for saying yes.” she stopped, collecting herself. percy was watching her intently, holding their hands to his chest.

“he started to lead me down a hall and i stopped and asked where he was taking me and he said-” annabeth’s voice caught in her throat. percy squeezed her hand. “he said there was a bedroom back there and he said he was thinking we could mess around.”

percy tensed. “i’m gonna kill him,” percy murmured angrily. annabeth let out a humorless chuckle.

“we’re not even at the worst part,” she said weakly. percy lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingertips. annabeth’s eyes lingered on his lips, even when he put their hands back to his chest.

“keep going, annabeth,” he whispered. she nodded.

“i, uh, obviously told him i didn’t want that. and he asked why i wouldn’t want that. and i mean, there are many, many reasons i didn’t want that. but i told him we didn’t know each other. and he-” annabeth stopped, closing her eyes. her mouth tasted bitter and her throat was dry. “he said something like that’s why we should get to know each other. and before i could say anything,” another tear slid down her cheek, “he kissed me.”

percy’s eyes darkened. “i’ll literally kill him, who was he?” he dropped her hand and annabeth panicked again, this time for a different reason. she quickly grabbed his arm, keeping a firm grip on it.

“no,” she said. she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck for the millionth time that night. he didn’t hesitate to respond, holding her impossibly close to him. annabeth knew percy was strong, but his grip on her this time was unlike any hug he had ever given her. in a different scenario, she may have felt claustrophobic like that, even in a hug from percy, but right now, she felt exceedingly protected. “i don’t need you to kill him or beat him up or anything like that. i need you here. stay here.”

“okay,” he assured her. annabeth relaxed in his arms. tension she didn’t know she was holding in left her body. “i’m not going anywhere. i got you.”

another three months pass and christmas rolls around. percy and annabeth have a yearly tradition where they spend christmas eve in his living room, watching movies and eating snacks. it’s caused christmas to become her favorite holiday because for the past four years, she’s woken up next to her best friend and it tops every gift she’s received.

“it’s my turn to pick a movie,” annabeth said, shoving him. percy looked at her incredulously.

“you just picked one!” he exclaimed. 

“yeah, but you love me so it’s my turn again.”

percy glared at her playfully. “i guess you’re right,” he muttered, pretending to be annoyed. “pick one.”

annabeth beamed at him and searched through netflix, ending up on a cheesy christmas movie which made percy groan.

“i revoke your choosing privileges next year,” he said. annabeth giggled and looked at him. her heart skipped a beat when she saw his stupid smile. annabeth leaned back against the mountain of pillows they had on the floor she leaned over, stealing some of his chips, laughing more when his jaw dropped. “so not only do you pick bad movies, you also steal my food? why do i put up with you?”

annabeth scooted over until they were side by side and obnoxiously threw her arms around him, pulling him towards her in a way that was likely uncomfortable. “because you love me,” she sang happily.

“yeah,” he muttered, his voice suddenly softer than before. “i guess so.”

annabeth laughed and removed her arms from around him but made no move to shift back over to her spot. instead, she leaned her head against his shoulder and turned her attention to the movie. percy made stupid comments the whole time, all of which made her laugh. he also stole some of her candy, which made her roll her eyes, but smile softly. 

as the movie ended, percy shrugged his shoulder, making her look at him. annabeth’s breath nearly hitched from the proximity of their faces. the blue light from the movie reflected off his skin and annabeth thought he was beautiful. “hey,” he said, smiling softly. 

“hey,” she replied. she wondered if he noticed or cared that their faces were six inches apart.

“you know you’re my best friend, right?” he asked. warmth flowed through her body and she smiled.

“i would hope so. otherwise these last seven years would’ve been a little awkward.”

he rolled his eyes fondly. “i’m just,” he said quietly, looking at her. he paused momentarily, as if trying to find the right words. the intimacy of the situation almost scared annabeth. he was _so_ close. “i’m really grateful for you. i’d be lost without you by my side, you know.”

annabeth felt her cheeks flush and she hoped the blue light from the movie’s end credits hid it. she gently pushed her shoulder into his. “idiot,” she said, affection seeping into her voice. “you’re my best friend too. there’s no one else i’d rather be stuck with.”

he scoffed lightly. “ _stuck_ with? you wound me, chase.”

“shut up,” she laughed. annabeth turned her head away from him as she yawned. “it’s bedtime,” she said, shuffling down to lay on her back. he smiled at her and annabeth couldn’t read the look in his eyes. percy turned, looking around for the remote. once he found it, he shut the tv off. the only light in the room now was from the christmas tree a few feet away from them. percy laid down and annabeth silently noticed that he didn’t move away from her. he was close enough for their knees to touch lightly as they faced each other. 

the dimness of the room made percy’s pupil dilate and annabeth found it oddly attractive, she had to look away before she did something stupid like kiss him. she looked at the digital clock on tv stand. she smiled.

“merry christmas,” she said quietly. percy followed her gaze to the clock. 12:27 am.

“merry christmas,” he whispered. he reached forward and squeezed her hand once. “goodnight, wise girl.”

annabeth rolled her eyes and smiled. “night, idiot.”

annabeth closed her eyes, but didn’t sleep. she waited about twenty minutes before turning to face away from percy. once she was looking in the opposite direction, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times. her mind replayed when percy had told her he was grateful that she was his best friend. her heart sped up at just the thought of it. 

he had been inches away from her, telling her he was happy she was by his side. how annabeth hadn’t collapsed on the spot is beyond her. a little part of her, maybe a part that was too hopeful, wondered if he was developing feelings for her. she knew it was more than likely that he wasn’t though. he was always a sentimental person. 

annabeth’s thoughts were cut short when she felt percy move behind her. in retrospect, she still doesn’t understand how she didn’t react when percy’s arm wrapped around her waist loosely.

 _okay,_ she thought, _he cuddles in his sleep. that’s cute._

and then percy pressed a barely there kiss to her shoulder blade. annabeth pursed her lips in an effort not to gasp. or scream. 

he wasn’t asleep. annabeth was impressed with her own self control as she kept her breathing as even as possible. the last thing she wanted to do was alert him that she was awake. her mind was racing. sure, percy was sentimental. he had done things like kiss her head or her hands. but those seemed to be reserved for when he was comforting her. not for when he thought she was asleep.

a tiny part of her wanted to turn around and confront him. another tiny part of her wanted to turn around and kiss him breathless, regardless of the consequences. she wouldn’t do either of those though. instead, she figured staying still was her best bet. then she had an idea. he thought she was sleeping and annabeth decided to use that to her advantage. as lazily as she could, she began to turn back towards percy. she bit back a smile as his arm tensed around her. silently, she curled up against his chest, smiling when she felt him relax. his hand flattened out on the small of her back. knowing he was doing this while he thought she was asleep made her feel both incredibly loved and incredibly conflicted. 

he loved her, she knew that. whether it was purely platonic or something more, she couldn’t tell. and she wouldn’t dare ask. instead, she snuggled closer to him, breathing in his familiar scent and allowed herself to enjoy being wrapped up in his arms.

sophomore year was ending and annabeth had never been more confused in her life. especially considering she was confused about percy, which was even more uncommon considering she knew him like the back of her hand. percy seemed to bounce back and forth between being super affectionate and almost coupley, and super platonic and friendly. annabeth wanted to punch and tell to either kiss her or stop sending mixed signals like this. 

today was a super affectionate day. they were watching a movie in theaters and percy had been holding her hand the entire time. she really hoped he wouldn’t ask about the movie later because annabeth couldn’t focus on it at all. his hand felt so familiar at this point and she loved the way it fit with hers. if it was up to her, she’d never let go.

“you’re not paying attention,” percy whispered, making her jump. he was suddenly a lot closer than he had been before. she smiled shyly.

“sorry,” she replied. “a lot on my mind.” concerned flashed in his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed.

“you okay?” he asked. she nodded.

“i’ll tell you later,” she said and instantly wished she hadn’t. what would she tell him? _hey why are you so affectionate all of a sudden? if you like me, just say so, idiot,_ didn’t exactly seem like the right thing to say. she smiled at him. “now pay attention, i’m watching a movie. geez.”

he rolled his eyes, grinning and looking at the screen again. annabeth tried harder to concentrate but the feeling of his hand in hers was so constant, it muddled her brain and only made her think of percypercypercy.

when the movie ended, they walked out of the theater hand in hand and annabeth wondered if anyone around them thought they were a couple. the idea sped up her heart. the movie theater was in a little outdoor shopping center so they walked around. percy bumped her shoulder with his.

“what’s on your mind?” he asked quietly.

“it’s nothing bad or serious,” she said. “i’ve been thinking about the future and college and all that, i guess. just, like, what’ll happen.”

“what do you want to happen?”

annabeth’s mind drifted to their joined hands. she blinked a few times. she didn’t really answer his question. “do you think we’ll still be friends in the future?”

percy stopped walking. they looked at each other. “what?” he asked.

“just, like, if we were to go to different colleges and once we have jobs and everything. do you think we’ll stay close through everything?” she didn’t like the look on his face. he almost seemed hurt that she would even need to ask that question. 

“do you think we won’t?”

annabeth’s eyebrows drew together. “i never said that,” she replied softly. “i think we will. i want to. more than anything. i was asking if you felt that way too.”

“i think we will,” percy told her, squeezing her hand. “i’ve never considered any other alternative.”

annabeth smiled softly. “good,” she said, tugging his hand so he’d keep walking. “i’d kill you if you had any other answer.”

four and a half months later, they were laying on their backs on annabeth’s bed, their feet pressed to the wall above her headboard. halloween was two weeks away and they were planning their costumes for the party piper was planning. and piper threw good parties so they couldn’t slack on costumes this year. 

“hush, i’ll look up ideas later and text you some that aren’t stupid,” annabeth said when percy suggected they go as peanut butter and jelly.

“but they’re the perfect match,” he said. annabeth rolled her eyes.

“peanut butter and jelly isn’t that good, percy. unless you’re, like, seven.”

percy scoffed, genuinely offended. “i hate you,” he deadpanned.

“sure you do,” annabeth replied, scrolling through her phone. they were silent for a while. annabeth was about to suggest some type of greek god and goddess costume she had found a picture of when percy spoke first.

“can i tell you something?” he asked quietly. annabeth looked over at him to find his eyes already on her. he had a serious look on his face so annabeth assumed this wasn’t about peanut butter and jelly.

“of course,” she said, setting her phone down on the bed beside her. percy blinked a few times, gathering his thoughts.

“so, i have a crush on this girl,” he started. annabeth felt the all too familiar sting in her heart. instead of showing it, she nodded. “and i think i really like her, but i don’t know if i should tell her. or how to tell her.”

annabeth thought for a second. “what’s the harm in telling her?” she asked. 

“we’re friends. i don’t wanna ruin anything.”

that was the first thing that confused annabeth. she thought through the list of percy’s female friends she knew of, which wasn’t a lot, and all of them had boyfriends. except annabeth. but of course, he may have had some she didn’t know about. 

“are you sure it would ruin things?” she asked. percy shrugged.

“i don’t know. but i wouldn’t wanna risk it.”

“do you think she likes you?”

percy studied her and she couldn’t read his expression. that confused her too. when percy had talked about rachel, he was so over the moon about her and told annabeth how great she was. now he seemed hesitant.

“i don’t know,” he said finally. “i think… she might. but i don’t know if i’m just being hopeful.” annabeth knew the feeling.

“maybe just drop hints to find out if she likes you,” annabeth suggested. percy averted his gaze and looked at the ceiling. 

“so another thing,” he said. annabeth noticed a change in his voice. “let’s say, hypothetically, i’m pretty close to this girl…” he trailed off. annabeth felt nervous for some reason now. she was really hoping he wasn’t crushing on one of his friends who already had a boyfriend. annabeth took her feet off the wall and turned to lay on her stomach, propped up on her forearms and her feet kicked up with her toes against her headboard. her arm was touching percy’s.

“okay…” annabeth said quietly, silently urging him to continue.

“and let’s say, hypothetically, a couple years ago… this girl told me she liked me.”

in an instant, annabeth’s throat dried up and she felt like her heart might’ve stopped beating. “oh,” she breathed out.

percy looked at her and annabeth ached to lean forward and kiss him. he wasn’t done talking though. “so, hypothetically speaking, i’m not sure how to tell if she likes me or not.”

annabeth swallowed as she tried to figure out what to say. her mind was racing so quickly and her heart was beating so loudly, she couldn’t form a coherent thought. eventually, she stammered out, “i, um- i think you should tell her.”

percy’s lips quirked up at the corners. “yeah?” he asked, his voice soft. “you think she likes me?”

she nodded quickly. “she does,” annabeth whispered. before percy could reply, annabeth shifted her weight to one elbow so her other hand could come up to hold percy’s face as she finally, _finally,_ kissed him. it felt like years of tension she didn’t know was there left. her body relaxed against his. so quietly she almost couldn’t hear it, she hummed contently when his hand gripped her waist. after a moment though, he pulled away.

“this is, like, the least comfortable position possible,” he said. annabeth would’ve laughed if his voice hadn’t dropped an octave. instead, her stomach turned at how hot she found that. plus, she agreed. her elbow was resting on his chest awkwardly and her other arm was falling asleep from holding her weight up. she nodded. percy took his feet off the wall and moved backwards. when he had said he was uncomfortable, annabeth wasn’t sure exactly how he wanted to situate them but she saw an opportunity when he had moved backwards and she took it.

she sat up and threw one knee over his lap, framing his hips with her thighs. his breath caught in his throat and his eyes dilated. annabeth reached forward and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to tug him upwards. he complied and as soon as he was upright, annabeth kissed him again. a surge of pride rushed through her as he practically whimpered. she felt like she might do the same when he wrapped his arms around her waist and she was once again reminded how strong percy was.

when annabeth couldn’t breathe anymore, she reluctantly pulled away. she held his face in her hands as she rested her forehead against his, trying to control her heavy breathing. her eyes fluttered open to find his, closer than they had ever been before. she smiled.

“hi,” she whispered, still a bit breathless. she pulled back a few inches to look at him clearly. his cheeks were flushed and his pupils were blown. annabeth had to stop herself from kissing him again.

“hey,” he whispered. when she heard his voice, annabeth decided she couldn’t stop herself. she leaned forward and kissed again, a lot softer this time though. percy pulled back, instead directing his lips down her jaw and neck in gentle kisses. annabeth hummed.

“you’re going to be the death of me, jackson,” she muttered, making him chuckle. he leaned back to look at her, a more serious expression taking over. “what?” she asked. he furrowed his eyebrows. she could tell he was thinking about what he wanted to say.

“you...” he said quietly. “you never stopped liking me, did you?”

annabeth’s cheeks heat up and she averted her eyes. “no,” she mumbled. “i’ve liked you this whole time. sorry.”

“sorry?” he asked. she shrugged softly, looking at him.

“i lied to you. i told you i had gotten over it when i hadn’t.”

he looked at her sympathetically, leaning forward to give her a small kiss. “it’s okay,” he said. “i wish i had known, but i understand why you lied. it’s okay.”

“when did you realize you felt the same?” she asked quietly. she was profoundly aware that she was still straddling his lap. 

“i’m not sure,” he said. “it was gradual, i think. the night ethan, uh, kissed you, i got so angry and i remember feeling so protective over you, like i just wanted to keep you close and safe. which is a little dumb, i know you can protect yourself. but still, i had gotten so… scared, i guess. and i think that night kind of kickstarted it.”

annabeth smiled softly and kissed him. “i was so grateful for you that night. and every night, obviously, but especially then. i can protect myself, but afterwards, if i had been alone, i may have had some sort of panic attack. you calmed me down afterwards and there’s no way i could’ve done that part alone.”

percy’s grip tightened on her waist and it warmed her entire body. “i’m glad i was there,” he said, kissing her lips softly, then trailing kisses down her neck again. he rested his head in the crook of her neck. _“i knew_ liked you by christmas though,” he said quietly.

annabeth smiled. she had nearly forgotten that night. “oh, you mean when cuddled with me and kissed my shoulder when you thought i was asleep?” percy’s head shot back and he looked at her with wide eyes.

“oh my god,” he said, dumbfounded. “you were awake.” annabeth tried and failed to bite back a smile.

“yeah,” she mumbled, hugging him tighter.

“oh god,” he muttered. then he blinked. “wait. you were awake. so you were awake when you turned around and curled up against my chest.”

annabeth’s cheeks heat up, but she nodded. “i almost turned around and kissed you then and there,” she admitted. his eyes lit up and he smiled slowly.

“god, if you had, we could’ve been kissing this whole time,” he replied and she laughed. 

“well,” she said, tightening the grip on his hips with her thighs. she leaned against him, placing the length of her chest against his. he glanced at her lips and his pupils dilated just a bit. “i guess we have a lot of them to make up for then.

**Author's Note:**

> about the scene with luke being homophobic-  
> i know not all christians are homophobic and i would like to make that clear. i've had christian family members of my own say the things luke said so i know _some_ are like that. i hope i didn't offend anyone with that scene though


End file.
